OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Ana Kasparian, a host of the popular liberal podcast “The Young Turks,” has been taking some decidedly non-liberal positions recently.
From complaining about the cost of converting the energy sector to electricity to saying that she is a “woman” and not a “birthing person,” she has made some of her viewers furious. But perhaps none of her stances has gotten her audience more agitated with her than when she apologized for promoting a Democrat “grifter,” Rebekah Jones, against Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“The only person that should be held responsible for that is me. I’m the executive producer of the show and I screwed up royally,” the host said.
Jones, a former Florida Department of Health data analyst, gained notoriety during the COVID pandemic by claiming that the governor asked her to alter data, a claim that was found to be false, and recently claimed that the governor had her son arrested, Fox News reported.
“Part of the reason why I screwed up is because I had all these biases, of course, against Ron DeSantis,” she said.
She said she did not mind that she had a bias but in this case it “blinded” her to the facts.
“I should’ve done my due diligence, and I failed to do so. By failing to do so, I feel like I misled the audience into thinking that Rebekah Jones is some sort of hero,” she said.
But she also blamed the mainstream media for assisting in promoting Jones’ lies about the governor.
“If they’re not doing their due diligence, if they’re allowing their personal biases to stand in the way of actual, factual reporting, well that’s unfortunately going to trickle into the way independent news sources cover these stories as well,” the host said.
Fox News reported:
The progressive outlet wasn’t the only one to parrot Jones’ conspiracy theories. CNN and other media outlets elevated Jones’ stories to the national level in 2020, taking them at face value.
From May 2020 to December 2020, Jones made several on-air appearances on programs like “New Day,” “Out Front with Erin Burnett,” and fired CNN anchor Chris Cuomo’s show, “Cuomo Prime Time.”
The Young Turks host said she regretted promoting Jones and wanted to “avoid helping someone who might be a grifter from fundraising off of our own audience members.”
Ana Kasparian admits that TYT didn't fact check the Rebekah Jones nonsense due to her not liking DeSantis & wanting to get him. She acknowledges this was the reason the media ran with the claims as well. She apologizes to audience members who donated to her scam GoFundMe as well pic.twitter.com/cPCbBLi78H
— Sean Fitzgerald (Actual Justice Warrior) (@IamSean90) April 13, 2023
As speculation continues around a possible presidential campaign by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, he just made an announcement that could be a step in the direction of his campaign starting.
The popular governor and his wife, Casey DeSantis, will appear at the Republican fundraiser at the “Feenstra Family Picnic” which is being held by Rep. Randy Feenstra in Sioux Center.”
“In Iowa, like Florida, freedom is valued, parents’ rights are protected, and faith comes first,” the governor said to Fox News. “Congressman Feenstra is a strong conservative with a record of delivering results, and I’m happy to support him.”
And Rep. Feenstra, who is holding the fundraiser for the Republican House Ways and Means Committee, praised Gov. DeSantis.
“While liberal states shut down their economies, forced businesses to close, and kept our kids out of the classroom, Governor DeSantis championed freedom and common sense. Florida — like Iowa — are clear examples of what strong conservative leadership can deliver for our country,” he said to Fox News.
Fox News reported:
Feenstra’s prior two “family picnic” fundraisers hosted former Vice President Mike Pence, who’s widely expected to launch his own 2024 bid, and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, whose presidential campaign has struggled to get out of Trump’s shadow.
A source familiar with planning the event clarified that DeSantis’ invitation did not constitute an endorsement for 2024, but suggested that it signaled the Florida governor was very much still a possible White House contender. The source referred to Feenstra as a “power broker” in Iowa politics.
“If you want to win in Iowa, talk to Randy Feenstra, because he is well liked,” a source said to Fox News. “In the state of Iowa, as potential presidential candidates come through… Randy wants to be an ambassador to everybody and explain what’s important to Iowa. You know, Iowans want a secure border. They want wasteful spending slashed and cut. They want someone that understands agriculture… I think Governor DeSantis represents that, and Randy certainly wants to welcome him and introduce him to Iowans who share those same values.”
